Your Waterloo

Your Waterloo 

by David Brenneman 

One understanding of the phrase "meet your Waterloo" is: to finally give up what you are trying to do.

Yet another explanation is: To encounter one's ultimate obstacle and to be defeated by it: “After beating dozens of challengers, the champion finally met his Waterloo.

In recent years and months I have heard people make reference to my legacy or the legacy of others. Why God connected these two thoughts I guess we'll find out. 

What will you be known for, should you die? What will be written concerning you? Will anything at all be said of the life you lived?  

I have no doubt that the road we're walking at this moment in time has a purpose under Heaven. Many people are being mislead by the millions as to what's important to have in their lives or how they ought to be in this life. 

The more I consider even small things in my life I wonder how those impact my larger decisions.  

My mind has my hobbies going through it often. My days are sort of planned out. But what does this have to do with my legacy if I have one? It leads directly to a single question that is of the utmost importance. 

Does what you do glorify God?

From the smallest of things to the world altering ideas...what we do in life as Believers is to glorify God, not ourselves. Just as the thought that a properly placed pebble can change the course of a mighty river...so can decisions late in life derail what people have thought about you.

A great deal of people place a lot of stock in the issue facing the Apostle Paul's prayer he prayed 3 times for the Lord to remove being a physical problem. The more I consider that, the more I see it as rubbish. Paul didn't put much stock in the physical. His heart was in the spiritual growth of people for Christ. Knowing how they were doing was incredibly important to him. Helping in whatever way was necessary. Some might point to this as something that he was defeated by.  

I have wondered at times if I have made a difference for the kingdom of God. While it's easy to look at the numbers showing viewership of this blog, you can't go by that. I attribute all of that to whatever the Spirit of God is doing. My hope, daily, is that somehow whatever I am lead to write either turns someone back to a life in Christ or that maybe someone might give their life to Christ and receive His free gift of salvation. 

It probably shouldn't, but, it bugged me that someone said something that I had a hand in doing was my legacy.  

My only legacy that is my hope is that somehow my joys, my sufferings, brought glory to God in Christ Jesus. I haven't always been as faithful to be in my Bible as I am today. I have given up on worldly dreams because those, from my perspective, wouldn't bring God any glory. 

It honestly was a soul shaking experience to really come to terms with the realization that I wasn't for sure that my life would show much evidence of a life in Christ.  

While we have X amount of time in a day. I wasn't spending much in my Bible. I wasn't spending much in prayer. I wasn't attempting to surround myself with Believers that would hold me accountable or who would lift me up in prayer. I was incredibly hard on myself for my sins. 

Any of this sound familiar?

I cannot recall what the date was, but I can recall the overwhelming joy in the release of the guilt of all that. Was a pair of Sunday night services. I can remember crying my eyes out at the altar. I had been set free from what I had been doing to myself. Jesus reached down into the waters of me and pulled me up to stand on that water. 

These days are much different than they were. My Dear Reader commit your ways to the Lord and you will not be disappointed. 

A phrase that I heard a long time ago is my aim in life: I am here to be an Andrew. To point people to Jesus. Whether it's to get them to return to Jesus or to come for the first time.  

I do not at all want to have the works of my life to burn up into nothingness when I face my Savior face-to-face.  

Have you really thought long and hard about that?? My Dear Reader it's a CERTAINTY. Jesus said that it's going to happen.  

What will remain we give back to Jesus. How would you feel if there were nothing to give to the One who died in your place on Calvary?  

As to my supposed legacy? It will not be known in this life.  

As to my waterloo...I haven't faced it. My God goes before me to lead the way towards His plans and His purpose for me. It's on me to trust and obey. It's on me to not give up. 

If ever there is written anything describing my life I want it to say something about how I loved my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and that my address changed. To me, my worldly accomplishments are as Paul described: rubbish. 

He's working all things together for my good because I love Him.  

What about you? Are you about getting worldly recognition rather than a Well done from Jesus? Are you about a life seeking various pleasures rather that doing whatever it is the Spirit would you rather be doing? Are you seeking your own personal welfare rather than helping those whom the Spirit has intentionally made to cross your path?  

Are you keeping score of those who wronged you rather than embracing forgiveness and the future that the Spirit really has prepared you for? 

If you haven't forgiven yourself or others then it is absolutely going to hamper your walk with Jesus. 

Are you really ready to stand before Jesus today? As MercyMe said in song: "Will I stand before you Jesus or to my knees will I fall. Will I sing Hallelujah will I say anything at all?"

Jesus reaches out to all of us throughout our lives. The true legacy is to those who took His hand. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.